Westside Church: Video: Recent Episodes
Westside Church, Vancouver Campus
Westside Church in Vancouver B.C. aims to be a church that contends for the never-changing gospel of Jesus Christ entrusted to His followers but taught in a contextualized manner for an ever-changing culture.
The Apostle Paul challenges the Christians to do some hard things because they lead to good things.
Series: Ordinary Church Speaker: Cliff Ursel Date: May 16, 2021 Text: 1 Timothy 2:1-7
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The Apostle Paul calls Timothy to "wage the good warfare" and as he does we learn several dynamics of spiritual war for the christian life.
Series: Ordinary Church Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: May 9, 2021 Text: 1 Timothy 1:18-20
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We all need renewal, which is time with Jesus that allows for refreshing and resetting.
Series: Ordinary Church Speaker: Cliff Ursel Date: May 2, 2021 Text: 1 Timothy 1:12-17
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What are we supposed to do with the law of God as Jesus' people? How do we handle a standard for life with God that none of us can live up to?
Series: Ordinary Church Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: April 25, 2021 Text: 1 Timothy 1:8-11
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How can we identify and confront false teaching in ways that honour Jesus and keep relationship with Him at the centre of all we are and all we do?
Series: Ordinary Church Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: April 18, 2021 Text: 1 Timothy 1:3-7
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As we open this study of 1 Timothy we'll see that human flourishing begins with surrender to the counterintuitive and often counter-cultural commands of God.
Series: Ordinary Church Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: April 11, 2021 Text: 1 Timothy 1:1-2
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An encounter with the resurrected Jesus is a life-changing reality. But do we really want to change?
Series: Psalms of Ascent Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: April 4, 2021 Text: Philippians 3:7-11
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Psalm 133 describes the beauty, power, and extreme value of God's people unified in worship. What makes unity so important and powerful? And how can we experience it?
Series: Psalms of Ascent Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: March 28, 2021 Text: Psalm 133
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Pride, arrogance, and god-like self perceptions are hidden noise machines in our lives that never let us rest. Jesus offers a new kind of life for anyone tired and worn out from the old one.
Series: Psalms of Ascent Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: March 21, 2021 Text: Psalm 131
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We all experience pain in life and most of that pain is a mixture of what happens to us and how we respond to it. The pain is real but healing is available.
Series: Psalms of Ascent Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: March 14, 2021 Text: Psalm 130
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In this moment, we have every reason to give up following Jesus. But Psalm 129 reveals that what we're willing to remember and hold to will determine whether we will ever make it to the end of our lives still abiding in Him.
Series: Psalms of Ascent Speaker: Nathan Harrison Date: March 7, 2021 Text: Psalm 129
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Joy is something that everyone seeks after, but there is only lasting, eternal joy found in Jesus.
Series: Psalms of Ascent Speaker: Jer Adrian Date: February 28, 2021 Text: Psalm 126
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Because of COVID, every single one of us is needing some kind of help. Today we look at ways to avoid dangerous proclivities and embrace a better way.
Series: Psalms of Ascent Speaker: Cliff Ursel Date: February 21, 2021 Text: Psalm 121
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As we come together to sing the first Psalm of Ascent we're invited to express the distress inherent in knowing Jesus; the dissonance that exists for every disciple of Jesus and pilgrim on his or her way to God. We're invited to lament.
Series: Psalms of Ascent Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: February 14, 2021 Text: Psalm 120
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In this week's sermon we'll take a look at the opening of the book of Acts, and discuss how what Jesus came to do, and what Jesus died to give us, impact the mission that God has for us.
Series: Standalone Speaker: Josh Dool Date: February 7, 2021 Text: Acts 1:1-8
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This week we'll close out our vision series with an emphasis on the third of our three core values. We'll talk about what it means to humbly pursue Jesus' presence; being continually formed into Jesus' image, for the good of our city as Jesus' kingdom comes.
Series: Vision Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: January 31, 2021 Text: John 18:33-38, 19:12-22; Mark 1:14-15
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This week we'll unpack the second of our three core values: formation into Jesus' image.
Series: Vision Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: January 24, 2021 Text: John 15: 1-13
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This week we'll unpack the first of our three core values: the humble pursuit of Jesus' presence.
Series: Vision Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: January 17, 2021 Text: Revelation 2:1-7
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We begin our vision series with a call to confession and repentance as a church.
Series: Vision Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: January 10, 2021 Text: Revelation 2:1-7
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Today we look at practical ways we can get our lives back on track with God and live lives of meaning and purpose..
Series: Haggai Speaker: Cliff Ursel Date: January 3, 2021 Text: Haggai 2
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As we journey through the moments of our lives considering each step, may we find that the only eternal joy to be found is in Jesus.
This Christmas can possibly be the most meaningful Christmas of our life, if, we can trust that Jesus is our Glorified Lord. He is the Lord of all.
Series: Humble Glory Speaker: Cliff Ursel Date: December 20, 2020 Text: Philippians 2:9-11
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Jesus has a vision for His Church. He has a call on His people. And His Spirit is ready, willing, waiting to empower them for it. It's a vision that begins with embracing divine emptying.
Series: Humble Glory Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: December 13, 2020 Text: Philippians 2: 5-8
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As the Apostle Paul begins one of the most beautiful descriptions of Jesus' humility and glorification in all the Bible he starts with the high calling for Jesus' people to be a people of relational peace.
Series: Zeal - The Gospel of John Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: December 6, 2020 Text: Philippians 2:1-4
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A man comes to Jesus desperate for his dying son to be healed. Jesus heals but as He does, He exposes the real disease underlying our sickness.
Series: Zeal - The Gospel of John Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: November 29, 2020 Text: John 4:46-54
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Today concludes the conversation Jesus has with a woman who was sinful, but now being 'born from above' discovers has a voice of healing and redemption.
Series: Zeal - The Gospel of John Speaker: Cliff Ursel Date: November 22, 2020 Text: John 4:31-45
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Jesus meets a woman at a wall and invites her to imagine a kind of water that would remove her thirst once and for all. Why does He do this and how can we experience this living water for ourselves?
Series: Zeal - The Gospel of John Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: November 15, 2020 Text: John 4:1-30
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As we study this interaction between John's disciples and the questioning Jew, we'll see how the author is setting up a Comparison, an Invitation, and concludes with an Imperative that challenges believers and non-believers alike.
Series: Zeal - The Gospel of John Speaker: Josh Dool Date: November 8, 2020 Text: John 3:22-36
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A religious leader came to Jesus at night to have a dangerous conversation. Jesus pointed him to the one thing he needed, to be born again. An impossibility made possible for all of us.
Series: Zeal - The Gospel of John Speaker: Cliff Ursel Date: November 2, 2020 Text: John 3:16-21
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A religious leader came to Jesus at night to have a dangerous conversation. Jesus pointed him to the one thing he needed, to be born again. An impossibility made possible for all of us.
Series: Zeal - The Gospel of John Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: October 26, 2020 Text: John 3:1-15
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This is the second 'sign' John gives to reveal Jesus to us. As Jesus makes His way into Jerusalem for Passover we'll see His authority and His zeal put on display. We'll see Jesus' passion for His Father's house to be all that it should be.
Series: Zeal - The Gospel of John Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: October 18, 2020 Text: John 2:12-25
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As we unpack Jesus' first 'sign' in John's account of His life, we'll see the lengths He went to to secure our joy today and forever. And we'll see exactly how we can taste that joy starting right now.
Series: Zeal - The Gospel of John Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: October 12, 2020 Text: John 2:1-11
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In the story of Jesus' encounter with two early disciples, Jesus tells what happens to us when we surrender to His call on our lives. When we begin to grasp what He is saying we cannot but want to follow Him wherever it is He wants to lead us!
Series: Zeal - The Gospel of John Speaker: Darrell Johnson Date: October 4, 2020 Text: John 1:43-51
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In this text we watch as the first disciples take their first steps in following Jesus. But He's no ordinary Rabbi, Guru, Prophet, Priest, or King; He's the Messiah. Following Him means answering His question, accepting His invitation, and identifying with His promise.
Series: Zeal - The Gospel of John Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: September 27, 2020 Text: John 1:35-42
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We become what we behold. Last week we 'beheld' Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. But that's only the first half of the Good News. As we look again we'll see that Jesus is also the one who baptizes us with the Holy Spirit.
Series: Zeal - The Gospel of John Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: September 20, 2020 Text: John 1:29-34
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As we move into a brand new season of life and ministry there's only one thing that really matters. One thing Satan, the enemy of our souls, would love to distract us from; beholding Jesus. Seeing Jesus. Knowing Jesus and making Jesus known.
Series: Zeal - The Gospel of John Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: September 14, 2020 Text: John 1:29
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John the Baptist was chosen by God to reveal Jesus as the long awaited Saviour to a watching and waiting world. Today isn't just about a great man, it's about us finding fulfillment and purpose in difficult times.
Series: Zeal - The Gospel of John Speaker: Cliff Ursel Date: September 6, 2020 Text: John 1:19-28
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In this sermon we will come to the very centre of the prologue or overture in John 1:1-18. We'll see the implications of God taking on flesh and dwelling among us in Jesus.
Series: Zeal - The Gospel of John Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: September 3, 2020 Text: John 1:14-18
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In this sermon we'll unpack what the Revelation of Jesus as the 'True Light', discuss why so many people reject him, and talk about how we go about engaging with the life he came to give.
Series: Zeal - The Gospel of John Speaker: Josh Dool Date: August 23, 2020 Text: John 1:9-13
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The Apostle John continues to answer the question, 'Who is Jesus?' by pointing to a brand new kind of life and light.
Series: Zeal - The Gospel of John Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: August 16, 2020 Text: John 1:4-8
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As the Apostle John sets out to answer the question, 'Who is Jesus?' he takes us back, before the beginning, to reveal the essential nature of the God of love.
Series: Zeal - The Gospel of John Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: August 9, 2020 Text: John 1:1-5
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We'll look at Matthew 5:13-16 and see what Jesus says about the identity, mission, and cost of being his disciples today.
In this sermon we will unpack Paul's call for the women in Corinth to wear head coverings as they prayed and prophesied in the church gathering. We'll unpack what was behind that call and what it means for us today.
As we consider Paul's challenge to the Corinthian church to imitate him as he imitates Chris, we ask ourselves, "Who do I imitate?" and "Who is imitating me?".
This week we will examine three principles that govern our freedom in Christ, and discuss how we live out Paul's command to 'glorify God in everything we do'.
The first part of 1 Corinthians 10 the Apostle Paul makes a big observation that could lead to catastrophe if not addressed. Today's text is the prescription and the motivation to make the changes.
After helping the Corinthians understand the priority of love over knowledge, Paul now moves to use his own life as an example of laying down our rights. In this sermon we'll see three ways the gospel of Jesus transforms our lives: drudgery to joy, stewardship to reward, and self-interest to love.
Why is love at the centre of life in Jesus' Kingdom? And how can we, as a church, embody His love for the world the way He embodied His love for us?
The heading in your Bible might make you think we are going to be talking about 'food offered to idols' though we will talk about that we will see that this text uses 'food offered to idols' as a springboard to talk about today's sensitive issues while at the same time providing perspective, hope and a solution.
The role that single people are invited to play in Jesus' Kingdom signals a shift in how we experience God's favour, live out our purpose, and respond to divine love.
The gospel changes us radically. And yet, even when undergoing that radical change for most of us much of who we are and what we do remains the same. In this message we will look at three aspects of the gospel - the good news story of Jesus - and see how it changes everything while it calls us to remain where we are all for the sake of Jesus.
After seeing the ways in which our bodies and our sexuality are intended to worship Jesus, we move to the interpersonal implications in marriage, divorce, and singleness.
The Bible places an extreme level of importance on the human body and infuses it with all kinds of divine purpose. In this sermon we'll see what those purposes are.
Today, like never before, we acknowledge a serious sense of discord between our authentic selves and our physical bodies. What does a christian theology of the body mean for us as followers of Jesus and the world we live in?
In todays sermon we examine an interpersonal grievance that erupted in the Corinthian church and consider how Pauls instruction applies to us.
A church's loving and redemptive responsive when sexual immorality leaks into the church.
In this sermon we will drop into the middle of a vision that the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel recorded. We'll explore what a valley full of dry bones has to do with resurrection and God's plan for the renewal of His people and the restoration of all things.
In this sermon we'll begin to explore both a cultural and a biblical view of human sexuality while unpacking how Jesus' people are meant to respond to sexual brokenness inside the church.
In this text we're going to see Paul address three strategies that threaten to diminish and defile the image of Christ in the corporate church, and distract us personally from faithful service to Jesus.
In this text we'll explore the uniqueness of the christian call and opportunity in moments of disruption.
As we step into this unique season together we're reminded of the essential nature of the church. Specifically, what it means that we're the temple of God.
In this sermon we discover that we are uniquely gifted by Christ to build the church and asked the simple but hard question: Are you?
In this sermon we'll explore the empowered, released, rewarded, and glorified life that Jesus invites us into.
In this sermon we'll explore the difference between merely being saved by Jesus and living a life abiding in Him.
This morning we'll look at Paul's description of 'The Wisdom of God', discuss how this wisdom should affect our lives, and address some of the things that threaten our engagement with it.
In this sermon we'll unpack the reality that to abide in Jesus and live full of His Spirit we'll need to embrace our weakness.
In this passage Paul will address the first error in the church of God at Corinth. As he does we'll be confronted with one of the most deadly diseases in Jesus' Church today. A sickness that threatens to stifle the power of God.
This sermon will close out Paul's greeting to the Corinthians with one primary question: How could he be so thankful for such a messed up and broken church? We'll examine the movements of the Living God among His people both then and today; movements that come together in the form of an invitation for us all.
In this sermon we will begin our series entitled 'True Power' by examining the cultural pressures of worshipping Jesus as Lord in ancient Corinth or modern day Vancouver. We'll see that there are forces at work more powerful than culture and that only one Lord can follow-through on an offer of grace and peace.
As we examine the shepherding motif of Psalm 23, we'll see how The Lord is my Shepherd provides comfort to us through our valleys and mountaintops, and how we use this psalm as a prayer for our journey.
In this sermon, we discuss Psalm 96; why it was written, how it points us to Jesus, and how can use this Psalm to pray God's heart for the nations.
Psalm 42-43 Although lament is one of those practices often spoken of in the Scriptures there is much confusion and hesitancy surrounding it. In this message kicking off the series, Praying the Psalms, we look at four features of psalms of lament and discover why lament is important for us all.
Matthew 2:1-12 In this sermon we will unpack Matthew's account of Jesus' birth announcement in Jerusalem. We'll see why the people who longed most deeply for a new Kingdom weren't ready when the King was born and how we can build our lives on the hope of Jesus' return.
In this fourth servant song of Isaiah we'll unearth the gospel in vivid clarity by beholding Jesus - the servant that God sent! We'll then examine the prophesies of the service that he would perform and the salvation that he would purchase for mankind.
Isaiah 50:4-11 In this sermon we'll unpack one of Isaiah's ancient prophecies of Jesus. We'll see that God intends to totally restore all things including us. We'll see how Jesus has already ushered this restorative justice into our world and left us here to be people of renewal until He comes again!
In this sermon we'll unpack one of Isaiah's ancient prophecies of Jesus. We'll see that God's vision for restoration is far broader than just the Jewish nation of Israel - but a beautiful mosaic of all peoples, languages, and nations! May it be in Vancouver as it is in heaven!
In this sermon we'll unpack one of Isaiah's ancient prophecies of Jesus. We'll see that God intends to totally restore all things including us. We'll see how Jesus has already ushered this restorative justice into our world and left us here to be people of renewal until He comes again!
In this final week of our 'Become' series we'll look at how the purpose of the disciplines is that they would lead us to deeper joy in Christ, and how God's desire is that this joy would manifest itself through the discipline of Celebration.
In this sermon we will unpack confession, a classical spiritual discipline that Jesus had no need of but invited us to practice for our own joy. We will see that the ongoing practice of confession is a path to true freedom, a way to walk out our hope in Jesus, and a doorway to our God-gifted purpose in life.
As we examine the Spiritual Disciple of Service we'll see how God uses it to remake us so that we are more oriented around God and others than ourselves. We'll take a look at how service overflows from the heart as a result of feasting more on the treasures of eternity than the treasures of today, and examine how/why we should engage in the discipline of service.
In this sermon we will unpack one of the faulty stories of our culture that has many of us living for attention from others instead of relationship with God. Jesus invites us to live out of a better story (the Gospel) and cultivate new desires through the spiritual practice of secrecy.
In this sermon we'll unpack the nature of true worship and explore why we should hunger to worship in spirit and truth.
Text: Luke 12:22-34 In this sermon we will explore Jesus call to seek his Kingdom before anything else. What does that mean in a world as obsessed with accumulation as ours? What truths are Jesus' followers meant to build their lives on to show the world what real life looks like?
Text: Acts 2:42-48, 1 Timothy 4:7b
In this sermon, we are continuing the Become series and exploring the spiritual disciplines of study and meditation. These disciplines primarily focus on the Bible's central role in the life of a Christian and how we might continue to train ourselves for the purpose of godliness as we leverage our lives to know the God we are called to make known to others.
In this sermon we'll examine the spiritual discipline of fasting, the feast that God has prepared for us, and the things that we are often tempted to satisfy our appetites with.
In this sermon we'll examine the obstacles of praying as Jesus taught us and the power of prayer in setting us free.
In this sermon we'll examine the purpose and practice of silence and solitude in the Christian life.
In this sermon we'll focus on the nature of our 'labour' as disciples of Jesus by unpacking a brief theology of spiritual disciplines.
This sermon will explore what we want to become as a local church in this time and place. We'll lean on our two recent series through Matthew and Joshua to see our call to become a people who love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength. Who live as conduits of Jesus' presence on earth. And who labour toward the renewal of all things.
Today's sermon answers the question, "How do I know I am a Christian?" by digging into 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10.
In this final sermon of the series we'll watch as the people of Israel gather with Joshua one last time. He'll call them to a moment of decision and warn them before sending them off to live their lives. In this chapter we'll be faced with the reality that the law we love will crush us if we try to live by it.
As we near the close of the book of Joshua, we will see that just as there is something threatening the possession and enjoyment of the Promised Land for the people of Israel, there is something threatening our participation and enjoyment of the life Jesus came to give us. We'll examine three charges that Joshua gives in order that we would more fully engage in the promised inheritance God has for us.
As we near the close of the book of Joshua, we will see that just as there is something threatening the possession and enjoyment of the Promised Land for the people of Israel, there is something threatening our participation and enjoyment of the life Jesus came to give us. We'll examine three charges that Joshua gives in order that we would more fully engage in the promised inheritance God has for us.
Joshua 22 begins the fourth and final major section of the book. After entering the promised land, taking the land, and dividing the land the people turn their attention to living in the land. But the first obstacle they face is not what they had hoped for. In this sermon we'll be called as a church to step into the role we've been given as minsters of grace in each other's lives.
In this sermon we will look at how Gods justice and mercy are on display through the cities of refuge, and examine how Jesus being our place of refuge presents a call and a challenge to the church today.
In this passage, we see Israel enter a time of rest from war and settle the tribes of Israel into allotments of land as they receive their inheritance.
After Joshua and the people deal with their own propensity for self-sabotage through confession and repentance the scene immediately shifts back to the enemies around them. But instead of a head on attack the battle requires the discernment of deception. How does the deception come? Why do the people lower their guard? And what does this mean for followers of Jesus with a very real enemy in this world?
Joshua chapter seven is the first time we see Israel suffer defeat since the handoff from Moses to Joshua. What happened to their divine defence? What was it that got in the way? And what can we, as Jesus followers today, learn about cultivating a life in the presence of God through it?
Speaker: Norm Funk Text: Philippians 1:3-11
In what is my last sermon as a pastor at Westside I want nothing more than to express my thanks to the Lord and to the Body of Westside and do so by borrowing from Paul and Philippians 1:3-11.
Joshua 6 records the battle Joshua and the people of God fought against Jericho. But a battle fought by faith, and in faith, and in obedience to the promises of God.
As we turn our attention to Joshua five we're going to be faced with several beautiful realities of the gospel. That those who come to Jesus no longer belong to themselves, that the God who leads us is a God of perfect provision, and that our worship in Spirit and truth is the way to dismantle strongholds and push back the darkness. As Jesus' people are marked more and more by these realities Jesus fame will spread through our city, province, country, and world!
In Joshua chapter 4 the people of God finally set foot in the Promised Land. In this message we dig deep into the call of God on them to memorialize this move across the Jordan and what the meaning and message is to us today.
After receiving an incredible report from the two spies Joshua had sent into the land, the people make their way to the Jordan river. But before they cross they're given specific instructions on how to follow the Lord into this new land. In this sermon we'll look at how the leading of Jesus works in our lives and how we can position ourselves to be lead by Him throughout our lives.
After receiving an incredible report from the two spies Joshua had sent into the land, the people make their way to the Jordan river. But before they cross they're given specific instructions on how to follow the Lord into this new land. In this sermon we'll look at how the leading of Jesus works in our lives and how we can position ourselves to be lead by Him throughout our lives.
After being commissioned by the Lord to lead with strength and courage Joshua finally steps into his new role. As he does we'll remind ourselves of the reasons behind his strength and courage. We'll notice the renewal that takes place under new leadership and watch as the people of Israel respond to all that's taken place so far.
After being commissioned by the Lord to lead with strength and courage Joshua finally steps into his new role. As he does we'll remind ourselves of the reasons behind his strength and courage. We'll notice the renewal that takes place under new leadership and watch as the people of Israel respond to all that's taken place so far.
Strong & Courageous / Joshua 1:1-9
We begin a new series on the book of Joshua. In this kick of message we consider who Joshua was and what God told him as he took over leadership of the Jewish people upon the death of Moses.
We finish off our long journey in Matthew by hearing Jesus' great claim, commission and comfort to His disciples.
Text: Matthew 28:1-10
The resurrection of Jesus can be ignored, written off, rejected, or considered. In this sermon we will consider the resurrection from the perspective of a small group of women who went to the tomb expecting to find a corpse but instead found hope, life, and joy.
Text: Matthew 27:51-66
There's something we all share, our love of access. This Good Friday message unpacks the access granted to all people by way of Jesus' work on the cross.
On this Palm Sunday we take time to notice four characteristics of Jesus in the lead up to the cross: what type of King was Jesus, what kind of power did He display, what kind of trust did He hold and how did He secure our salvation?
In this sermon, we follow one of the themes that we have been tracing throughout the book of Matthew (the envy of the religious leaders towards Jesus) to its final conclusion as demonstrated through Jesus' trial before Pilate. In so doing, we see both a warning and an invitation for us, today, culminating in our final question: Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?
There is a beautiful tragedy tucked away in these verses that leaves us with a profoundly important question. How is it that Judas, who walked with Jesus for three years, was unable to find restoration after his sin? How is it that his grief over sin lead to death instead of life? And how do we guard ourselves against the same thing? How do we access the radical grace of God and find freedom from the crushing weight of guilt, sin, and shame?
Next to Jesus the disciples took their cues from Peter. He was a born leader: strong, courageous, and had the will to back it up. But on the night of Jesus' arrest and trial Peter turned on Jesus. He denied ever even knowing Him. How could this happen? How could such a strong man fall so completely? In this sermon, we will see how the location of Peter's confidence, the longing of Peter's enemy, and the love of Peter's God all conspired to lead him to such a terrible and gracious collapse.
How do we move from domesticated and safe to expectant and faithful in our journey of faith? We address that question in depth in this message coming out of Hebrews 10-12.
In this sermon we will focus on the events immediately following the surrender of Jesus to His Father in the garden. We will watch as the power of darkness rages against him. We'll see the crimes of passion committed against Him. We listen to the sound of His silence as He stood trial. And we will examine ourselves for the theatrics of deception that were performed that night.
In this sermon, we explore the betrayal of Judas, and how Jesus responds and what we can learn from His response.
A slightly different message where we'll use this text to consider the depth of Jesus' agony and sorrow in the garden and the causes for it.
A slightly different message where we'll use this text to consider the depth of Jesus' agony and sorrow in the garden and the causes for it.
Why did the disciples all flee from Jesus on the night of His arrest and what can we learn from them to help in our moments of testing? And most importantly, what are we to know of Jesus in those moments of failure? That's what this sermon addresses.
In this sermon we will unpack what Jesus meant when, at the last supper, He said the bread was His body and the wine, His blood. What did He mean by all of that? And how are we supposed to eat and live out the communion meal today?
Speaker: Josh Dool Date: February 3, 2019 Text: Missions Sunday
This week we will take a look at how 'Making Jesus Known' is not just the mission statement of Westside, but the purpose and mission for all of humanity and even God himself. We'll see how the plan of God from before the world began was to reveal himself through Christ, and how we can more faithfully engage in the mission of 'making him known'.
Speaker: Josh Dool Date: February 3, 2019 Text: Missions Sunday
This week we will take a look at how 'Making Jesus Known' is not just the mission statement of Westside, but the purpose and mission for all of humanity and even God himself. We'll see how the plan of God from before the world began was to reveal himself through Christ, and how we can more faithfully engage in the mission of 'making him known'.
As we continue Jesus' walk toward the cross we'll take some time to slow down in the upper room during the last supper. What can we learn about our own hearts and lives as Jesus' disciples are confronted by the sin of Judas?
In this message we drop in and witness the extravagant display of Mary's love for Jesus and show how Judas betrayal of Jesus serves as a harsh contrast to her.
In this sermon we will set the stage for the last three chapters of Matthew. We'll look at four unmistakable realities of Jesus that make our total surrender to Him vital for any who want to experience life in Him.
In this sermon we will kick off the new year with a look at the biblical concept of revival. What does revival mean? Why should we care about it? And how can we experience it personally and as a church?
How do we become a community of contentment in a culture of consumerism and discontentment? We do this by looking to our King and his vision for the Kingdom of God.
In this sermon we will look at the third title for Jesus found in Isaiah 9:6 -- Everlasting Father. What does it mean that Jesus is Everlasting Father? And if He is, how should we feel about approaching Him?
In this second of four Advent messages coming out of Isaiah 9:6 we look at the name Almighty God and consider how Jesus could be both God and man and what the implications of that are for us.
In this sermon we begin or Christmas series entitled, 'Messiah.' In this four week series we will walk through the ancient prophesies in Isaiah nine and unpack the four titles that were given to the promised Messiah who we now know came in the person of Jesus! This sermon will focus on the title, 'Wonderful Counselor' and set us up with a framework for understanding "The fear of the Lord [as] the beginning of wisdom" (Prov. 9:10).
We finish off this series with a 40 chapter flyover of Job where we'll consider Job's regret and God's response to him and His restoration of Job thereafter.
We take a one week break from our current series and consider three questions coming out of John 15:1-17 and Jesus' call to abide in Him.
In this sermon we begin a three-part journey into the heated topic that comes with the presence of evil and the supreme rule of God. This week, which begins the process, we look at Job who suffers, by the will of God, while being blameless and upright.
Text: Job 1:1-12
In this sermon we will begin an examination of the life of Job. More specifically, we'll focus on the conversation that God has with Satan as a back drop to the events recorded for us from Job's life. How are we to understand the person and work of Satan in our world? What's at stake as he disguises himself to deceive? How can we not only resist him but overpower him and become an argument against his lies in the world?
Text: Genesis 50:19-21
How does the Bible call us to forgive and extend grace to those who commit evil against us? What do we learn from the life of Joseph that helps us understand this? And is this possible for us? That's what this message addresses as we wrap up the last few weeks of studying the life of Joseph.
Text: Genesis 39:20-40:23
What do you do when your commitment to righteousness and good works takes you from bad to worse? That's what this message addresses as we look at Joseph as he's thrown into prison under false accusations of attempted rape. We see how he responds and how, most importantly, he was able to carry on in spite of the great trial he was going through.
In this sermon we will continue our exploration of the life of Joseph. We'll watch as God leads him into blessing, temptation, and a whole host of other life-altering realities. Ultimately we'll see that Jesus is the one who walked through each of these things fully and completely on our behalf. And we'll wrap things up with a celebration of those placing their faith in Jesus!
In this sermon we will begin looking at the story of a boy named Joseph. We will see the extreme measures that God used to call him and the great cost, suffering, and service that call lead him into. We will also see that Joseph wasn't alone in this call as every disciple of Jesus has been called in the same way and to the same things.
We wrap up our look at Jonah in this message with three takeaways that have weaved their way through the book and culminate in chapter 4. In doing so we will once again be confronted with the reality that we are more like Jonah than we may care to admit and need God's grace as much as he did.
In this message the call of God on Jonah comes a second time. But unlike the first, this time, Jonah goes and calls out to Nineveh and a city is turned upside down in light of God's mercy and grace.
In last week's message we entered a storm that came about because of Jonah's fleeing. Today, in chapter 2, we learn from Jonah the right response to our storms and how Jesus is the ultimate rescuer from them.
In this kick off message to the series, Trial and Trust, we look at Jonah, his call and the effects of his unfaithful response. We end by noticing how God overwhelms Jonah's sin with grace and mercy.
In part two of 'Life and Labour' we will head back to Jesus' prayer for the Church in John 17. What would it look like for disciples of Jesus to be aligned with the heart of God in our time and place? How can we make sure that the values at the centre of God's heart are the same ones at the centre of our lives?
In part 1 of this series, we will unpack John 17 by looking at following Jesus. What does it mean to follow Jesus. Put another way, we're answering the question, "If I follow Jesus, what should I expect?" "Based on the life and teaching of Jesus, what sort of life does He call his followers to?" Is it a giant list of do's and don'ts, is it easy, or comfortable, make your life better, awesome, terrible, or something different altogether? What should mark us as citizens of the Kingdom of God living in Vancouver?
In this sermon we will bring our time in Matthew 25 to a close by asking the all-important question, 'how?' How can we become the people of radical love that Jesus calls all of His disciples to be? How will the love of Jesus be formed in us? And how should we respond to everything God has shown us through His Word over the last three weeks?
In this sermon we will unpack three parables that Jesus told to describe what will happen when He returns to set up His Kingdom. Jesus will introduce us to the ordinary and completely counter-cultural life of those who are living with a heightened sense of anticipation for that day.
"I know that God loves me because ..." - We may naturally answer this question based on our performance, success, health or a myriad of different ways. But is there a more solid ground for our hope that we are loved by God? 1 John teaches that the answer is a resounding YES. Specifically, we know that we are loved by God through God the Son, Jesus, manifesting the love of God through his life and, supremely, through His death on the cross in our place. God's love has been clearly manifested through Jesus, and as this love grounds and transforms our hearts, we love others with a self-sacrificial, humble love as a response. And as we love one another as we have been loved, we reveal God's love for those around us who desperately need it. In so doing, we make Jesus Known.
One of the key doctrines of the Christian faith is the return of Jesus - as certain as His first coming is His second. This sermon out of Matthew 24 addresses what the signs are that mark His return and what the church is to be up to in the meantime.
Chapter 23 of Matthew is a crescendo chapter. Not only does it record the last public discourse of Jesus, it culminates thousands of years of history with Jesus pronouncing a series of woes on those who led those away from Him.
Some questions are more important than others but there is one that trumps them all. In this message we look at a question that is posed by Jesus, a question that is paramount for our eternal security rests on how we answer.
In the ongoing frontal attack on Jesus, He is asked this time what the greatest of all commands is. In His answer Jesus affirms what we need to give ourselves to first and how else flows from it.
In this sermon we will come across a group of religious leaders called Sadducees. We'll look at the reasons they rejected the God they claimed to worship and the power they missed out on because of it. We'll see that the same dynamics exist today and that Jesus made a way for us to experience more life and more power than we could ever imagine.
As we near the end of Matthew and as the cross looms, the tension between Jesus and the religious establishment has reached a heightened state. In this message we look at the first of what will be several questions posed to Jesus by the religious leaders in hope that they're able to trap and entangle Jesus in His own words.
In this passage Jesus finishes off a triad of parables by comparing the kingdom of God to a wedding feast. This message seeks to not only explain the parable but understand some of the characteristics of our Heavenly Father, the Son He sent and what heaven will be like.
In this sermon Matthew shifts our focus from the liberating work of Jesus to the response of the religious leaders. As Jesus is opposed He won't defend Himself but instead, as the Great Physician He is, diagnose their illness and work to help them understand that if left treated their condition is terminal.
In this sermon we will look at Jesus' (missing word here: 'entry') into Jerusalem. He knew execution was in front of Him, so why did He keep walking? What was it that drove Jesus to lay down His life? What salvation does He offer us today?
In this message, we come to the end of Jesus' fourth of five discourses recorded by Matthew. As Jesus wraps up things before entering Jerusalem for the last time He reminds and recounts how greatness is viewed and evaluated by God and what is to be true of those who are a part of His kingdom. It's a lesson that's those then and we today struggle to understand and live out.
In this sermon we will see Jesus' disciples response to His conversation with the rich, young ruler and the ways in which we are confronted by God's grace. Why is it that we have such a tough time accepting grace? And how can we move from a works-based life to the life of grace?
There is no more important question than, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" In this passage, we look at the question through the eyes of someone who had everything this world can offer but was still lacking what he - and we - needed most.
This text addresses the topic of marriage and divorce but in reality, it addresses something much more significant than even that. That being, hearts that are hard towards God and His call to go above and beyond, empowered by Him to do so.
In this sermon we will unpack Jesus' parable of the unforgiving servant. We'll ask what role forgiveness plays in the lives of Jesus' followers, what it means when we find ourselves unable to forgive, and the provision Jesus has made for people who find forgiveness as tough as we do.
This sermon dives into the oft misunderstood topic of church discipline. Why and how are we to carry out church discipline and what are some of the common objections to it? That's what this message seeks to address.
In this message, we pick up our series in Matthew that we broke away from in December. The theme of this message is that greatness in the kingdom of God comes by humbling ourselves like a child with humility showing itself thereafter in how we accept, care and seek out one another.
As we wrap up our series, 'Perspectives On the Cross' we will look more closely at the power of the resurrection. Does the resurrection of Jesus still have power today? If so, what is it doing and how can we experience it?
In this Easter Sunday message, we gaze at the cross of Jesus through the eyes of three women who observed things first hand. Through their eyes we consider what keep us from fully accepting the reality and implications of the cross today.
In this Good Friday message, we view the cross through the eyes of Joseph and Nicodemus, two Jewish socialites who remind us that the cross calls, costs and comforts.
In this sermon we will begin our series, 'Perspectives On the Cross' by looking at the perspective of the Roman Centurion who supervised the crucifixion of Jesus. We'll consider how he might have thought about Jesus as the day began and the radical paradigm shift he experienced only hours later.
We wrap up this series by seeing how the gospel is depicted in the closing verses of Genesis 3. Specifically, we are going to see how the faith, covering and assurance of Adam and Eve, along with the trials promised to them, point ahead to the good news story of Jesus and the assured hope we can have in Him.
In this week's sermon we will continue walking through the story of sin entering our world. We'll see how sin has affected us radically by altering the nature of our relationships. We'll look at God's response to our sin and the way He made for us through it.
Text: Genesis 3:1-7
In this week's sermon we come to the entrance of sin into creation. We will look at the pattern of thought and action that led to the rejection of the Creator, how it repeats itself even today, and how we can be free from it.
In this week's message, we go back to the first marriage of the Bible - the marriage of Adam and Eve. A marriage that Jesus points back to in Matthew 19 as serving as the prototype for all marriages to come.
In this message, we finally enter the Garden of Eden where God places Adam so as to work it and to keep it. In this message, we discuss the genesis of work along with the gift of freedom and will that God gives Adam, and Eve later, by way of the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
In this sermon we will walk through the seventh day of creation. We'll ask the questions: Why did God rest? Where did His rest come from? What does His rest look like in us? And How can His rest become our reality?
In this, the fourth message in our Eden series, we address the topics of mankind being created in the image of God and what this means in terms of our role and relationship with the rest of creation. In addition, we address the topics of gender, race and our call to multiply.
In this sermon we will walk through days two to five of the creation account. We will unpack the way this story confronts the primary origin story of our culture, points us to what's good, and leads us to worship.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: January 21, 2018 Text: Genesis 1:2-5
In this message we consider why the Genesis 1 account of creation begins with an unfinished earth and what God wants us to see by His shining light into it.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: January 14, 2018 Text: Genesis 1:1
We kick off our Eden series in Genesis 1:1 in this message by observing what it tells us about God and God, specifically, as Creator. The message concludes by addressing how what we see and observe in our world and beyond demonstrates more convincingly the existence of God than anything else.
As we end 2017 and look forward to 2018 we'll look at Paul's encouragement to consider everything we could put our hope and confidence in outside of the finished work of Jesus as garbage for the sake of knowing Jesus and being found in Him.
The greatness of the prophet Elijah is without debate; few were more committed to the glory of God than he. However, even Elijah was prone to fear, anger and despondency. This sermon investigates how the restoration of Elijah from places like those takes place and what we can learn from it.
As we end our Christmas Series on this Christmas Eve, 2017, we revisit the most well-known verse in the Bible - John 3:16 - and look at three great wonders found in that help explain why Jesus came.
In this sermon we will unpack an ancient prophecy about Jesus and specifically the four titles given to Him: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. What do each of these mean? Why do we resist them? And what would it look like to know Jesus in these ways?
In this sermon we will unpack an ancient prophecy about Jesus and specifically the four titles given to Him: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. What do each of these mean? Why do we resist them? And what would it look like to know Jesus in these ways?
In part 2 of our Christmas Series, Light Has Come, we discover what John wants us to know most of all about the coming of Jesus. We call it John's Trifecta in this message, three aspects of Jesus' coming that are paramount to understand.
In this message we begin a series focused on the light of Christmas. In Jesus, the light of the world has come, but as His followers we have been called to be ministers of light. This message digs into what that means for us.
In this sermon we will walk with Jesus as He descends from the mountain of transfiguration and toward the cross. The question in front of us is, 'Why did Jesus have to leave the mountain in the first place?' As we look at the reasons Jesus had to enter "the valley" we'll be shown the nature and purpose of the freedom we have or can have in Him.
The transfiguration of Jesus was a mountaintop experience like no other. In it, Jesus visibly demonstrated that past, present, and future are ultimately and only secure in Him. Never again will the lows of this life be able to destroy us or the highs of this life limit us.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: November 12, 2017
In light of last Sunday's mass-shooting in a Texas Church, we take a break from our series in Matthew and address the topic of "The Existence of God and the Presence of Evil."
In this sermon, we seek to help one understand why the way of Jesus - the way of the cross - must be the Christian's way too. We do this by focusing on the three reasons Jesus gives and affirming the great need for our love of Jesus and commitment to bringing Him glory undergirding everything.
Matthew 16 marks a dramatic change in the earthly ministry of Jesus where He ends His work in Galilee and sets His face towards Jerusalem. Tied to this transition is the most important of questions: who do you say that I am? In this message, we look specifically at Peter and seek to discover by way of his response to Jesus what in his life should be true in ours and those things we should be wary of as well.
In this sermon we will consider the opposition to Jesus that exists within those of us who consider ourselves Christ-followers. We will see some of the ways we can twist the shut off valve to God's power in our lives by opposing the life and salvation that Jesus came to give.
In this sermon we will unpack another account of Jesus miraculously feeding thousands of people. In this story we'll get a clearer picture of the salvation Jesus offers and what He requires from any and all who live to enjoy it!
In this sermon we will unpack the story of a woman with a spiritually oppressed daughter who sought freedom in Jesus. We will consider what spiritual oppression looks like today and what we can learn about finding freedom in Jesus from the example of this woman.
As we return to our study of Matthew we pick things up in chapter 15 where in the midst of multiple conflicts Jesus teaches the people then, and us today, the depth of our defilement, the only means of cleansing our defilement and what cleansing brings.
We finish off our three-week series with a message that looks at the disciples' - our - call of "being in but not of the world." What does this mean, how is this carried out and what undergirds it are the questions this message addresses.
In last's week's message in this series we looked at why Westside exists To Make Jesus Known. Today we ask how and answer by diving into the shared importance of the gathering and the scattering of the church.
As we kick off our 13th year of ministry we go back and address the reason for why the mission of Westside is To Make Jesus Known.
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: September 3, 2017
In this final sermon on the human experience we will look at what is arguably the most important experience of all, love. Where does our desire for love come from and why do we have such a difficult time finding the love we're looking for? How does God's love compare to all other love and how do we receive, walk in, and respond to it?
In this sermon we will unpack the human experience of fear and the opportunities offered to us through it. As God works to make us more like Jesus He uses not only the good but also the bad experiences of our day to day lives to do it. Fear is no exception. What opportunities exist to walk closer with God in the experience of fear? And how can taking those opportunities free us from the power that fear tries to wield over us?
In this sermon we will unpack the unique way Jesus offers for dealing with the human experience of regret. We'll ask questions like: What are the implications of living in a culture that avoids the experience of regret at all costs? Why is it that we fear failure and do whatever we can to distract ourselves from it? And how is it that we can be freed from the weight of regret without having to close our eyes to the reality of our own brokenness?
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: August 13, 2017
In this sermon we will unpack the human experience of anger. Why is anger so destructive to us and our relationships? Where does it come from? And how can we deal with the root of it as opposed to simply treating the symptoms?
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: August 6,2017
In this, part 2 of a 2 part sermon on lust, desire and passion, we dive into our call to be people who pursue greatness not for our glory but for the glory of God while being aware of the pitfalls along the way.
Does God simply want all Christians to rid themselves of all desires, passions and ambition? In this first of a two-part sermon we will look at lust, desire and passion from the negative and see how we can have victory over them. Next week we will look at the same emotions from the positive and see how we can harness them for the sake of the kingdom.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: July 23, 2017
In this sermon in our series, "The Human Experience," we dive deep into the topic of loneliness. Specifically, we look at Hagar, a prominent woman in God's redemptive story who experienced, full well, loneliness and longing but God graciously stepping into it as well.
This week, as we continue on in our series we will be looking at 'The Human Experience' of awe. What is awe? And how does the awe that we are so used to culturally differ from the awe of God? As we unpack the awe of God we will look at what it's meant to do to us and how we can recover it if we have lost it or discover it for the very first time!
As we continue on in our summer series, The Human Experience, we dive into the topic of shame in this message and consider what brings shame, how we attempt to deal with shame and what, ultimately, can rid ourselves of it.
As we continue on in our summer series, The Human Experience, we dive into the topic of shame in this message and consider what brings shame, how we attempt to deal with shame and what, ultimately, can rid ourselves of it.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: July 2, 2017
Joy is a big topic in the Bible, to say the least. Followers of Jesus are promised joy by Jesus, told that it is ours by way of the Spirit and is something that is to be pursued always. And yet, why don't we experience more than we do, how can we gain it if we lack it and how does our desire for it evidence something beyond ourselves? Those are questions this message addresses.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: July 2, 2017
Joy is a big topic in the Bible, to say the least. Followers of Jesus are promised joy by Jesus, told that it is ours by way of the Spirit and is something that is to be pursued always. And yet, why don't we experience more than we do, how can we gain it if we lack it and how does our desire for it evidence something beyond ourselves? Those are questions this message addresses.
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: June 25, 2017
In this sermon we will continue our exploration of the human experience by unpacking the nature of sorrow in the christian life. We will explore several origins of sorrow for those who follow Jesus and unpack some of the purposes that God has in it.
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: June 25, 2017
In this sermon we will continue our exploration of the human experience by unpacking the nature of sorrow in the christian life. We will explore several origins of sorrow for those who follow Jesus and unpack some of the purposes that God has in it.
We begin a summer series this week where over the next 12 Sundays we will consider some of those common feelings and experiences we all share and consider how the Scriptures speak to them. We launch this series looking at apathy.
Speaker: Matt Glezos Date: June 11, 2017 Text: Matthew 14:22-36
In Christ each Christian is blessed with a peace and comfort that brings hope into this life and will carry us into the life to come. But the mistake we sometimes make is thinking that because Jesus brings us peace and comfort, he wants us to pursue a life that is always peaceful and completely without risk. In this passage we see the comforting presence of Jesus and the call to follow him out onto the water to take a risk that will force us to exercise our faith.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: June 4, 2017 Text: Matthew 14:13-21
Pre-resurrection there were few events, if any, that displayed the messiahship of Jesus more than the feeding of the 5000. In this message we highlight four aspects from it that we are NOT to see. Yes, you read that right - in this great event there are four things revealed that we are NOT to see.
In this sermon we will be introduced to Herod the Tetrarch as he comes in contact with the mighty works of Jesus. What Herod does with Jesus is a sobering warning about the attempts we make to create God in our image rather than letting God be God.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: May 21, 2017 Text: Matthew 13:53-58
In colleges and universities around North America, homecoming is a big deal met with much fanfare. Not so with Jesus. In this message we journey with Jesus back to His hometown of Nazareth where He is received, not with applause, but offence and wilful disbelief.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: May 14, 2017 Text: Matthew 13:44-52
What does the "good life" look like to you? To borrow from James K. A. Smith, what does human flourishing encompass? In this message Jesus, through His ongoing use of parables, reveals the worth, value and all-encompassing nature of the kingdom of heaven and why it's worthy giving up everything for.
In this sermon we will unpack three more parables of Jesus in an effort to discover what they teach us about the Kingdom of God.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: April 30, 2017 Text: Matthew 13:1-23
Few things are more associated with Jesus than His parables. This message addresses what parables are, the role they serve, and why they are important. Additionally, what do we need to discover in the parable of the Sower, specifically, what makes someone 'good soil'?
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: April 23, 2017 Text: Matthew 12:38-50
Hard heartedness is a topic that comes up often in the Bible. It's seen prominently with Pharaoh but continues on with the disciples and the Pharisees thereafter. What are the earmarks of hardheartedness - especially the more subtle ones - and how do we overcome it? That's what this sermon addresses.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: April 9, 2017 Text: Matthew 21:1-11
On this Palm Sunday we enter Jerusalem with Jesus - for the first time in Matthew - and consider deeply those characteristics of Jesus that Matthew emphasizes.
In this Good Friday message we dive into the exchange of Jesus for Barabbas and consider how we too are like Pilate, the Crowd and Barabbas himself and therefore, how we all need Jesus.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: April 9, 2017 Text: Matthew 21:1-11
On this Palm Sunday we enter Jerusalem with Jesus - for the first time in Matthew - and consider deeply those characteristics of Jesus that Matthew emphasizes.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: April 2, 2017 Text: Matthew 12:33-37
In last week's passage we were witness to the most horrific words ever uttered: Jesus does what He does by way of Satan. In this week's text Jesus sheds light on how our words not only bear witness to who we are but why we utter them in the first place.
We are approaching a culminating point in Matthew where not only is Jesus' popularity reaching a zenith but so too is His opposition. In this message we tackle the accusation of the Pharisees who concluded that Jesus did what He did by the power of Satan and consider the relevance for us today.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: March 19, 2017 Text: Matthew 12:9-21
In this message Jesus continues to press in on the Pharisees view of the Sabbath - this time by way of healing a man with a withered hand. In this message we will also address the question of whether or not Christians are to keep the Sabbath today.
Speaker: Matthew Menzel Date: March 12, 2017 Text: Matthew 12:1-8
In this sermon we will look at the invitation Jesus extended to rest in Him. What does that actually mean? How do we do it? And what does it require to be a people defined by His rest instead of our work?
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: March 5, 2017 Text: Matthew 11:20-30
One of the sweetest invitations of Jesus is to "Come to Him." Why would we not? This message looks at some of the reasons for why many choose not to come to Jesus, the warning to those who don't, and what is promised to those who do.
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: February 26, 2017 Text: Matthew 11:1-19
In this sermon we will examine the place of doubt in the Christian experience. As we walk through the text we'll look at where doubt comes from, the provision we've been given to walk through doubt, how God responds to us in our doubt, and finally the benefits that doubt has in the lives of Jesus' disciples.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: February 19, 2017 Text: Matthew 10:26-42
This message ends our study of Jesus' missionary discourse. In it we dig deep into how we can overcome our fear in the light of the promise that we will encounter trials and tribulation when we choose to bear witness of Jesus.
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: February 12, 2017 Text: Matthew 10:16-25
In this sermon we will be unpacking three circumstances that Jesus promises His disciples will face. These aspects of calling will challenge our perception of who Jesus is, what it means to follow Him, and why He calls us to any of these things in the first place.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: February 5, 2017 Text: Matthew 10:5-15
In this text Jesus sends out His 12 with 11 instructions. In this message we take those 11 instructions, pare them down to five, and notice the things we share with the 12.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: January 29, 2017 Text: Matthew 10:1-4
At this stage in Matthew's gospel we move from the very public ministry of Jesus to Jesus calling, empowering and sending out His 12. All things prompted by Jesus' compassion towards to crowds.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: January 22, 2017 Text: Matthew 9:35-38
In this transition text Matthew sums up the ministry of Jesus in Galilee and shares three reasons for why Jesus had compassion for the crowds - reasons that should prompt our prayers for God to send more workers into His harvest.
Over the past two chapters we have observed Jesus do and declare much. But what's to be our response to it all? This messages dives into the varied responses that people have to the life and ministry of Jesus.
In this message Jesus is approached by a synagogue ruler and a woman whom were both living in a state of grave desperation. In His miraculous response to them Jesus reveals how we share their desperation but are offered the salvation and restoration they received too.
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: January 1, 2017 Text: Matthew 6:9-13
In this New Year's Day sermon we will take some time to talk about prayer. Specifically, how God intends to use it as a transformative gift in our lives.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: December 24, 2016 Text: Matthew 2:1-11
On this Christmas Eve we look at how the responses of those to the arrival of Jesus 2000 years ago mirror those of many today - we oppose, we're indifferent or we pursue and worship Him.
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: December 18, 2016 Text: Matthew 2:1-6
As we come to the fourth Sunday of Advent we will take some time to ask why the nation of Israel was so unprepared for the birth of their Messiah while wise-men from the east were among the first to worship the infant King. Are we in danger of making some of the same mistakes? And how can we guard ourselves from them?
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: December 11, 2016 Text: Matthew 1:1-17
In this sermon we will turn our attention to the beginning of Matthew's gospel as we move toward the celebration of Jesus' birth at Christmas. The genealogy of Jesus that Matthew records expands on three specific titles for Jesus and the promises associated with them. What does it mean that Jesus is the son of Abraham, son of David, the Christ?
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: December 4, 2016 Text: Matthew 9:14-17
In this message we look at how Jesus once again addresses the radicalness of His message and ministry. Jesus had not come to simply upgrade what already existed but usher in something entirely new - a teaching that uses a discussion about fasting to make its point.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: November 27, 2016 Text: Matthew 9:9-13
There are texts that stand out because of what's contained in them this text is one of those; a text that highlights the wondrous grace and mercy of Jesus as shown in the call of Matthew. And a text that leaves us with a call to do the same.
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: November 20, 2016 Text: Matthew 9:1-8
In this sermon we will walk through another miraculous act of liberation performed by Jesus. As we do we will focus our attention on what it looks like when the kingdom of heaven collides with our world.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: November 13, 2016 Text: Matthew 8:28-34
Today's text calls us to a middle ground - where, on the one hand, we are challenged with the reality and work of the demonic yet freed up from having to live in fear of it because of the person and work of Jesus.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: November 6, 2016 Text: Matthew 8:23-27
In this message we jump into a boat with Jesus and His disciples and discover what the storms of life reveal about our understanding of Jesus and where our hope and trust lays.
In this message we look at the high call of following Jesus looking specifically at those roadblocks - those greater loves, commitments and passions - that keep us from doing so.
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: October 23, 2016 Text: Matthew 8:5-13
In this sermon we will examine the faith of a Roman Centurion, a faith that made Jesus marvel. We'll unpack what was so amazing to Jesus about this man's faith and what our call is in response to it.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: October 16, 2016 Text: Matthew 8:1-4
In this passage Matthew begins to bear witness to the claims of Jesus and does so by highlighting His miracles. In this message we drop in on the healing of a leper and discover how the leper's physical condition mirrors our spiritual one and how Jesus came to heal us from it.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: October 9, 2016 Text: Matthew 4:12-25
In this message where we transition from the ministry of John to Jesus we take a 30,000 foot view of Jesus' ministry noting specifically that it was a ministry of fulfillment, kingdom in-breaking and calling.
In this text we join Jesus in the wilderness and observe Him being tempted by the devil. In this message we address two questions primarily: first, what was Jesus tempted towards and second, what does Jesus' temptation mean for us?
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: September 25, 2016 Text: Matthew 3:13-17
In this sermon we will examine the baptism of Jesus. Why was He baptized if He was without sin? And what did His baptism accomplish for us?
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: September 18, 2016 Text: Matthew 3:1-12
As we begin our series walking through the gospel of Matthew we will take some time to consider the ministry and message of John the Baptist. We will exmine what repentance means in the life of the church as we once again prepare for the arrival of Jesus.
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: September 11. 2016 Text: 1 Corinthians 1
As we come to the start of another ministry year we will take some time to walk through portions of 1 Corinthians 1 in order to evaluate our faithfulness as a local church.
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: September 4, 2016 Text: Ephesians 1:15-23
As we wrap up the series we will walk through the rest of chapter 1 and see what it means to experience every blessing.
Date: August 28, 2016 Speaker: James Bonney Text: Ephesians 1:13-14
In this sermon we look at the blessing of the Holy Spirit.
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: Aug 21, 2016 Text: Ephesians 1:11-12
In this sermon we will take some time to look at the inheritance that is already ours or still being offered to us in Jesus. We will look at what kind of an inheritance it is, what it includes, and what it means for our lives today.
In this sermon we will look at the promised blessing of the 'restoration of all things.' What does this blessing actually consist of and how are we supposed to enjoy and live in light of it already?
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: August 7, 2016 Text: Ephesians 1:7-9
In this sermon we will explore one of the most foundational blessings in the Christian life, the forgiveness of sins. We will look at what this blessing means from a cultural standpoint and explore it's significance not only for Christians but for our world in the time and place that we live.
Speaker: Josh Dool Date: July 31, 2016 Text: Ephesians 1:4-6
In this sermon we will look at the blessing of being Adopted in the Beloved. By examining this scandalous blessing we will see how this pivotal component of our salvation is also a present day reality for us to enjoy and experience.
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: July 24, 2016 Text: Ephesians 1:5
In this sermon we will look at one of the most foundational and impactful of all God's blessings. We will see how the 'praise of God's glory' is meant to be the consummation, communication, and cultivation of all of God's gifts in our lives.
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: July 17, 2016 Text: Ephesians 1:4
In this sermon we will look at the blessings of holiness and blamelessness that are available to us in Jesus. We'll see how we as people instinctively pursue these things apart from Jesus and why every one of us should run to Him for them instead.
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: July 10, 2016 Text: Ephesians 1:1-3
As we begin looking at every blessing made available to us in Jesus we'll take some time to talk about the process involved in the daily experience of every one of those blessings.
The Origin, Necessity, and Purpose of Christian Coommunity
Speaker: Josh Dool Date: July 3, 2016
Throughout the New Testament we encounter descriptions that depict the Christian Church as being The Body of Christ, and we see many instances where instructions and commands are not directed toward the individual, but rather the community. This week we look at the origin, design, plan behinds God's structuring of this community, and we encounter the purpose and mission of God in uniting Christians together in this way.
As we come to the end of the series we will wrap it up with a call to see ourselves and our lives in light of this 'Revelation of Jesus Christ.' We will also get to hear the testimonies of twenty Westsiders as they enter the waters of baptism. There really is no better way to bring this letter to a close than with that kind of a celebration!
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: June 19, 2016 Text: Revelation 21:9-22:5
As we continue looking at John's vision of the eternal Kingdom of God we will be prompted to ask a number of questions including: What is it that makes the Kingdom of God so different from the Kingdom of man? Why can't God's Kingdom and the Kingdom's of this world simply co-exist? And finally, how is God leading us to live in light of these realities?
Text: Revelation 21:1-8
As we come to chapter 21 John's vision transitions to a picture of the eternal home God has prepared for His children. There are five specific aspects of Heaven that we will look at in this sermon that are meant to strengthen us to faithfully follow Jesus until He returns.
In this message we investigate the thousand year period known as the millennium. We consider whether it's a time in the future or something now. We end by looking at some major reminders for all.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: May 29, 2016 Text: Revelation 19
With the fall of Babylon the multitudes cry, "hallelujah." This message looks at why they cry out, what makes the destruction of Babylon so certain and ends by asking whether or not the battle depicted in chapter 19 should be viewed as a literal and physical battle or as something else.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: May 22, 2016 Text: Revelation 18
Where chapter 17 focuses on the deception of Babylon, chapter 18 focuses on its destruction. Why it's destroyed and how followers of Jesus are to live in light of its certainty is the focus of this message.
In Revelation 17, John records a vision that personifies the forces of evil at work in our world. How do we see them at work around us today? And what tools have we been given to stand against them?
Revelation, chapters 6-19, include some of the most sobering chapters in the Bible. What are we to see and how are we to respond to the plans and purposes of God's judgment as depicted in them? This message considers those questions and more.
In this edition of the Roundtable, Norm sits down with Sam Allberry, author of "Is God anti-gay?" and discusses the many issues surrounding homosexuality, same sex attraction and how best to respond to those in and outside of the church with grace and truth.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: May 1, 2016
Before looking at the 7 bowls being poured out in chapter 16 we slow down in the first four verses of chapter 15 and look deeper at the follower of Jesus as conqueror and singer.
Few, if any, topics in the Bible are most hesitantly approached as the topic of hell. And yet, if we ignore the sobering horror of hell we will never fully appreciate the gracious goodness of Jesus and His sacrifice for us. In this message we look at hell, it's reality and our only hope of being saved from it.
In Revelation 13 we encounter two beasts, two beasts empowered by the dragon (Satan). In this message we look at how and to what end are these beasts empowered by Satan and how Christians stand against them. We also consider why some churches undergo such great persecution while others languish in spiritual apathy in the midst of great prosperity.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: April 10, 2016 Text: Revelation 12
After the finality of chapter 11 this sermon, coming out of chapter 12, doubles back and answers three main questions: why is Satan so angry, what are his tactics and how do the people of God conquer him?
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: April 3, 2016 Text: Revelation 11
Revelation 11 brings us to the end of a major section in the book. As this section wraps up we will see the call and identity of Jesus' Church in this period of redemptive history.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: March 27, 2016
On this Easter Sunday we look at Jesus' post-resurrection encounter with Thomas where Jesus tells us why it's more blessed to not see and believe.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: March 25, 2016
On this Good Friday we go back to the early hours of the first and join Jesus in the garden where we see His agony and temptation as well as His strength that fortified Him for the cross.
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: March 20, 2016 Text: Revelation 10
In Revelation 10 we begin another interlude in the flow of the book. In the midst of increasingly intensifying imagery our attention is briefly redirected so that we can remember the place and purpose of the Church in the middle of all of this.
Speaker: Mark Clark Date: March 13, 2016 Text: Revelation 9
In Revelation 9 trumpets five and six are blown. The judgments released are more intense than anything seen to this point. How are we to understand God's hand in all of this? What does it mean to have the seal of God on our foreheads? And what role does Satan play here as the vision unfolds?
As we turn our attention to Revelation 8 we will be faced with more images of God's judgment. How are we to understand who God is in light of these things? What do these divine judgements tell us about the one who sits on the throne?
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: February 28, 2016 Text: Revelation 7
Chapter 6 ends with the most appropriate of questions: who can stand? Who is able to stand, in their own strength, before God on the throne and the wrath of the Lamb? In this message that takes us through chapter 7 we discover the answer.
In this message we consider first off the doctrine of the rapture before seeing Jesus remove the first four seals of the scroll of God.
In this message we transition from looking at the throne of God in chapter 4 to the Lamb of God in chapter 5. More specifically, we recognize four aspects of the Lamb - the Lamb's worthiness, weakness, way and worship of Him thereafter.
As we come to Revelation 4 the vision John sees changes. He looks and sees a throne in heaven, occupied and surrounded by worshippers. But what does all this mean? How is the existence of a throne in heaven meant to change our lives today? And what is revealed about the one who sits on the throne?
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: January 31, 2016 Text: Revelation 2-3
In this message, which is in response to last week's, we look at the ways Jesus strengthens the church for the battle we wage against our chief enemy, Satan himself.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: January 24, 2016 Text: Revelation 2-3
The book of Revelation is written originally by Jesus through John to 7 churches located in Asia Minor. In this message we do a flyover of chapters 2 and 3 and discover what Jesus tells them then - and us today - about Satan's tactics used in opposition to the church.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: January 17, 2016 Text: Revelation 1:4-20
When John was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, what did he see? This message breaks down the wonder of Jesus - the Son of Man - and why He calls us to not be afraid.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: January 10, 2016 Text: Revelation 1:1-8
In this kick off message to our series on Revelation we lay the ground work for understanding the genre - apocalyptic - the book was written in. As well, we unpack the first three verses of chapter 1 setting the stage for what comes next.
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: January 3, 2015
After seeing the origin of and the solution to the unrest in our world we will now turn our attention to the act of rest in the Christian life. How are we supposed to be people of rest in the midst of so much unrest? And how can we effectively offer the rest that God has given us to the people in our lives?
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: December 27, 2015
As we come to the end of one year and get ready to begin another we'll do a little bit of reflecting on the events of our world in 2015. How does the Bible help us understand the unrest in ourselves and our world? And how can we move through the unrest to a place of ultimate rest?
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: December 24, 2015
In this Christmas Eve message that finishes off our "To Us a Son is Given" series, we see how the names of Jesus aren't merely used to identify Him but explain who He was and what He came to accomplish.
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: December 20, 2015 Text: Galatians 4:4-7
Last week we saw that the primary motivation for God in sending His Son to us was incomprehensible love. Today out of Paul's letter to the Galatians we will look at part of what God's love, expressed in Jesus, has accomplished for us.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: December 13,2015 Text: John 3:16-21
We begin a short Christmas Series today entitled, To Us a Son is Given. In this message coming out of John 3:16-21 we look specifically at what kind of love it was that spurred the sending of Jesus.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: December 6, 2015 Text: Exodus 15
As we conclude our study of Exodus chapters 1 to 15 we consider the role of worship, specifically the role of singing, as a response to what God has done for us and in us through Jesus.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: Nov 29, 2015 Text: Exodus 13:17-14:31
Few events in the Bible are more well known than the crossing of the Red Sea. But what makes it most extraordinary and wondrous is what it reveals about God's salvation. This message highlights three of them.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: November 22, 2015 Text: Exodus 12:33-13:16
With the tenth and final plague of Passover complete what does God call His people to next? What does God want to ensure that His people give themselves to first? He calls them to remember. Remember who they were and what He had done. This message delves deep into the question, why? Why does God want us to remember and what does it birth in us, His children?
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: November 15, 2015 Text: Exodus 11-12:32
As we wrap up the account of the ten plagues we come to the moment of Passover. How does this powerful act of God move us from slavery to worship? And how are we to live in light of it?
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: November 8, 2015 Text: Exodus 8:20-10:29
God, Himself, calls the plagues harsh. Who would argue? But He also commands us to share with generation after generation the harshness of them. Why? What do they display and show that's so all-important for us to see?
As we come to chapter seven the story of the Exodus begins to focus on God's incredible display of power as He moves His people from slavery to worship through the plagues.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: October 25, 2015 Text: Exodus 6
"In spite of God's promises what keeps us from believing and living in light of them? That's the main question that gets addressed coming out of Exodus 6.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: October 18, 2015 Text: Exodus 5
What do you do when your faithful obedience to God is only met with resistance and disdain? How do you respond, where do you turn? Additionally, how do negative reactions to God and His Word serve God's ultimate purpose and plan? We address those dilemmas in this week's message.
As we continue on in our series through the book of Exodus we will take some time to consider what means to be called by God when our lives (unlike Moses') seem to be completely ordinary.
In last week's message we considered the call of God on Moses' life and how we too are called to go to a hurting and enslaved people. In this week's message we consider that not only are we called like Moses was but often times respond to God's call like Moses did too.
One of the great and wondrous teachings in the Bible is that God calls us but He doesn't only call us to salvation but to kingdom service. In this message we look at the call of God on Moses, a call that comes from a God who reveals Himself first.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: Sept 20, 2015 Text: Exodus 1-2
As we kick off this series we begin by looking at what Exodus highlights about God and His intimate involvement in it.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: Sept 13, 2015 Text: Matthew 16:13-23
On a Sunday where we celebrate 10 years of ministry we look at the promises of Jesus to His Church.
As we finish off this "I am" series we look at Jesus' great claim, "I am the resurrection and the life", a claim that calls us to move from a head belief about the hereafter to a heart's affection towards Jesus.
In John 10: 11 and 14 Jesus claims to be the good shepherd. In this message we look at what Jesus points to as qualifying Him as being the good shepherd and what the implications for us are thereafter.
In week 4 of this "I Am" series we look at Jesus' declaration, "I Am the Door." But what kind of door is Jesus and why does anyone need a door at all? In this message we look at 4 characteristics of the door that is Jesus.
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: August 16, 2015 Text: John 8:12
We've seen that Jesus is the 'I AM,' and that He's the 'Bread of Life.' In this sermon we turn our attention to Jesus as the 'Light of the World.' But what does this mean to our culture today? Is anyone even looking for the light anymore?
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: Aug 9, 2015 Text: John 6:35
As we continue our series looking at the I AM statements of Jesus we come to John 6 where Jesus claims to be the Bread of Life. But what does that mean and how are we supposed to live in light of it?
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: August 2, 2015 Text: John 8:58
In this series we will ask one primary question, 'Who is Jesus?' We'll start by taking a look at a few kinds of answers that exist for that question and we will close with a call to respond to Jesus' own answer.
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: July 26, 2015 Text: James 5:13-20
As we come to the end of the book of James we will be reminded that every man and woman who has received the grace of God has been called to live as a conduit of it into the lives of those around them.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: July 19, 2015 Text: James 5:7-12
As we begin wrapping up our series James calls us to patience but patience towards what? This sermon delves into that question as James reveals three categories that require our ongoing patience.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: July 12, 2015 Text: James 5:1-6
Few topics are more sensitive to delve into than the topic of money and wealth. Yet, ironically, few things are addressed more frequently and prove to be more dangerous to one's faith than money and wealth. In this message we ask four questions to help us consider how our faith is interacting with the riches around us.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: July 5, 2015
As we have seen throughout this series, the theme of James is faith working itself out. In this message James reveals how our faith should interact and respond to God's will.
Few instructions are more misunderstood and ignored than the call to judge. In this message we look at what right judging looks like and the warning against the opposite.
James 4:1-10
As we enter chapter 4 James addresses the main causes for relational discord and the reasons and the remedy for lives that have veered off course.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: June 14, 2015 Text: James 3:13-18
In today's passage James doubles back to the topic of wisdom and answers the questions: what wisdom is, what wisdom isn't and what wisdom produces in us.
There is no letter in the Bible that addresses the power of the tongue - positively and negatively - more than James does. In this message we explore the three things the tongue enables and why not many of us should become teachers.
As we come to the end of chapter two James will drive the main point of the chapter home with a discussion on the relationship between faith and works.
Why is partiality and favouritism wrong? In this message we delve into the question and and answer it in view of the gospel.
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: May 17, 2015 Text: James 1:26-27
As we come to the end of chapter one James will continue with the theme of spiritual self-deception. In these two verses he will lay out three practical evidences of whether the faith one professes is worthless or pure and undefiled before God.
As people who have been born again how do we then live? In this message James calls us to hear, heed and hold on to the Word and by so doing live a life that is pleasing to God.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: May 3, 2015 Text: James 1:12-18
Although trials and tests come by way of God and are for our benefit they bring with them the temptation to resist and sin. This message addresses the root of temptation and how to resist them when they arise.
As we continue in our series through the book of James we are going to get some practical help with the exhortation given to us in the first four verses. Namely, how can we count it all joy when we face trials of various kinds?
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: April 12, 2015 Text: James 1:1-4
In this kick off message to this series we look at what real faith looks like when confronted with trials and tests.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: April 5, 2015 Text: Philippians 2:1-11
In this final message of this series we look at the reward, response and reason for the exaltation of Jesus.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: March 29, 2015 Text: 1 Corinthians 15:50-58
In this final message coming out of I Corinthians 15 we look at how Paul addresses some final resistance regarding the resurrection and by so doing discover how the resurrection of Jesus, and ours thereafter, strengthens us for life now.
How are the dead raised, with what type of body do they come? These are the questions Paul answers in this section of I Corinthians 15, while warning us against earthly presumptions and presuppositions.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: March 22, 2015 Text: 1 Corinthians 15:35-49
How are the dead raised, with what type of body do they come? These are the questions Paul answers in this section of I Corinthians 15, while warning us against earthly presumptions and presuppositions.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: March 15, 2015 Text: 1 1 Corinthians 15:20-35
In this week's text Paul moves from the negative to the positive and reveals how the resurrection of Jesus serves us in three dramatic ways.
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: March 3,2015 Text: 1 Corinthians 15:11-19
As we continue unpacking 1 Corinthians 15 we will begin to see exactly why the physical resurrection of Jesus as a guarantee of our own is such a critical component of the gospel.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: March 1, 2015 Text: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
This message kicks off a series on the resurrection and focuses on the evidence of the resurrection and the role it plays in the larger gospel message.
As we close our series looking at the person and work of the Holy Spirit we will take some time to unpack the Holy Spirit as guide and empowerer. What does it look like to be empowered by the Spirit? How does that affect our lives? And how can we know if we are truly being led and empowered by Him?
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: February 15, 2015
In this message we look at the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: February 8, 2015
As we continue our series examining the person and work of the Holy Spirit we will take some time to unpack His teaching ministry and His role of comforter in our lives.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: February 1, 2015
In this ongoing series on the Holy Spirit we look this week at the Spirit's relationship with Jesus as glorifier and exalter.
What brings the follower of Jesus comfort and assurance? This message addresses the topic by looking at the Holy Spirit as Witness, Seal and Guarantee.
As we move to part 2 in our series on the Holy Spirit we look at the promise and sending of the Holy Spirit and what makes the time in which we live unique in all of history.
As we close out our 'Remember' mini series we will unpack some of the Apostle Peter's writing and focus in on one particular aspect of the gospel that doesn't usually get a lot of attention but that we are to be in constant remembrance of and that is meant to alter everything about our lives.
As 2014 comes to a close we will seek to put this past year in right perspective by examining what it means to live our lives in remembrance of Jesus.
Speaker: Matt Menzel Date: December 21,2014
As we continue on in our advent series by looking at Joseph's interaction with an angel we will be reminded that the incarnation of Jesus is the only hope the human race has of finding the salvation we're all searching for.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: December 14, 2014 Text: Luke 1:26-38
As we continue this Advent series we arrive at Gabriel's encounter with Mary, an encounter that reveals the wonder of how the Creator became creation and the Word became flesh.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: December 7, 2014 Text: Luke 1:5-25
As we begin this Advent Series we look at Gabriel's exchange with Zechariah that reminds us that when God came in flesh He came to enter our barrenness, fulfill His promises and press in on our doubts.
Although the story of Tamar and Judah is a strangely unique one it reminds us of how God breaks through our sin by the sending of His Son.
Few stories are more well known than Daniel and Lion's Den yet perhaps not as appreciated as it should be in its foreshadowing of Jesus.
The book of Esther doesn't mention God one time. Yet, He is all and everywhere in her story. This message considers the many ways God shows up in spite of His invisibility and what that means for us.
When we are first introduced to Joseph he was seventeen years old. He lived with his family in the land of Canaan and was spoiled rotten by his father, because he was the first son born to his father's greatly loved wife,Rachel. Not surprisingly, one brother finding more love in the eyes of their father than ten others created a very tense and embittered environment in the home.
The story of Sarah is a very interesting one. She isn't the primary focus of the texts that tell us about her and all of the interactions with do have with her display a general weakness of character. And yet God uses the story of this barren woman to highlight His grace. Over and over again we see that God is the hero of Sarah's story and through it we're compelled to trust Him with our own.
As we look at the story of one of the Old Testament's most famous characters we will see a man who pursues God above all else and a man who fails in his pursuit of God regularly. We'll examine the source of David's greatness and of David's failings. In the end we will consider how a man like him could've been described as a man after God's own heart.
The beauty and wonder of Naomi's story is God, and His gracious response, in light of her bitter disposition towards Him. A response we all need from Him, and one that is all ours, in Jesus.
What does faithful devotion to God look like? The story of Elijah answers that all-important question.
On the surface the book of Ruth tells the great love story of a destitute widow and a land-barren nobleman. But when read with Jesus in mind it paints a picture of God's wonderful and redemptive grace offered to all people.
There are few stories more well-known than the story of Samson, a man so blessed by God yet so flawed and enticed by that which was around him. But a man, most of all, who pointed ahead to Jesus.
As we kick off our fall sermon series called, Story, we look at the story of Rahab who serves as a model and example of faith while highlighting how God's redemptive work extends to all people.
Speaker: Norm Funk Date: September 7th 2014 Text: Jude 17-25
An all-important yet too often forgotten is the Christian's call to persevere. In this final message of our series Jude addresses what perseverance calls us to do.
Date: August 31, 2014 Speaker: Norm Funk
Although short and often forgotten Jude offers key and altogether relevant teaching regarding the dangers of false teachers and the Christian's call in response. This is part I of a two part series that will address this topic.
In II John the Apostle warns about false teachers on the outside, in this sermon coming out of III John we look at John's warning about self-serving evil leaders on the inside.
In the first half of 3 John the apostle commends a man named Gaius in order to spur him on in his ministry. Through this ancient encouragement those in Jesus are inspired by both the heart of John and the life of Gaius.
The letter of second John is a powerful call for the Church of Jesus to stand for truth in a world that desires the exact opposite. As we open this letter we will examine whether the way of our culture or the way of the gospel will ultimately lead us to the universal human desires of love, unity, and salvation.
As we continue unpacking Paul's letter to Philemon we will examine the extreme request being made of him. We will notice that God's grace not only frees believers to love and forgive but it also compels them to die to self.
In this kick off to a new series we look at the book of Philemon, a small and unique book, that in a most personal way addresses t
Luke 7:11-17 records one of the greatest miracles of Jesus but the text is greater still if we see how it reveals the beautiful aspects of Jesus' ministry and why He came to us.
As we close down our almost 2 year study of Romans we wrap things up by looking at Paul's final greetings, warning and doxology.
With the main body of his letter to the church in Rome complete, Paul now turns his attention to some final thoughts about the ministry entrusted to him as well as an appeal for the saints in Rome to partner with him for the sake of the gospel.
In this message Paul sums up his teaching on the weak and the strong and the call to welcome one another, doing so with one of the most precious benedictions in the Bible.
In this ongoing discussion on the weak and the strong Paul addresses how the church is able to bear with one another and in so doing, also points out those things the church is to be known for.
The church is made up of all sorts - men, women; older, younger; rich, poor - including the weak and the strong in faith. In this text Paul instructs the strong in how they should respond to the weak.
In Jesus believers have received an inheritance which includes an immense amount of freedom. Freedom mishandled, however, can be used at times to mask self-centredness. How are we to know when love should trump freedom? And what aspects of the gospel show us that love for our brothers and sisters may mean limiting the amount of freedom we allow ourselves to walk in?
Although we would all love to live debt free there is one debt that we are to always live under. This message addresses why.
What's a Christian's response to be to those in authority? Especially to those whose authority is being abused? This message addresses those questions.
Paul continues showing us what a transformed life looks like, this time in how relates to those within the family of God - the church - and how it responds, as well, to the enemies of it.
What does spiritual transformation look like in the life of a follower of Jesus? It looks like service as an act of worship.
A transition takes place as we enter chapter 12, a chapter where Paul calls us to an expected response in light of God's mercies.
This message considers those things that John wants us to see coming out of Resurrection Sunday.
What makes Good Friday good? This message focuses on five things the cross accomplishes that puts the good into Friday.
On Palm Sunday we look at Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The people were expecting a conquering king to lay waste to their enemies but they never expected the Messiah to accomplish that on such a grand scale. Which begs the question, how do we respond when Jesus doesn't submit to our plans for Him?
Much takes place in the Upper Room scene with one of those being the introduction of a new commandment from Jesus to love one another. This message investigates what, in fact, makes this command - a command as old as the Old Testament itself - new.
Few events are more stunning and yet as misunderstood as the footwashing of Jesus. An event that serves as a display of Jesus' love, a symbol of His death and example for us to follow.
Volumes have been written on humanity's need and desire to feel loved. Love motivates us, terrifies us, and can paralyze us. In a world like this the truth that 'God loves you' often falls on deaf ears. What does that even mean? How can we know that His love is for real? As we move toward the Easter season and the celebration of Jesus' resurrection we need to first pause and consider the fullest manifestation of God's love to us: the incarnation.
This message is a standalone sermon, and was preached by Matt Menzel out of John 1:1-18 on March 23, 2014.
We wrap up section 4 of our study of Romans by doubling back and looking at 10 things revealed about God in chapters 9-11 and finishing off with 4 more in today's text.
This message is a part of our Romans IV: The Perplexity & Predicament series, and was preached by Norm Funk out of Romans 11:25-36 on March 16, 2014.
This message is a part of our Romans IV: The Perplexity & Predicament series, and was preached by Norm Funk out of Romans 11:11-24 on March 9, 2014.
This message is a part of our Romans IV: The Perplexity & Predicament series, and was preached by Matt Menzel out of Romans 11:1-10 on March 2, 2014.